Vocabulary
Critical questions
Reference
Tuesday January 3, 2012Liberal StudiesE06-07 Liberal StudiesText: S-File (translated by Lon Yan) Photos: Internet, Sing Tao Daily
Key ideas
1. ‘Irate HK man unlikely Web hero’, by
Marianne Bray, June 9, 2006, CNN.com
e d i t i o n . c n n . c o m / 2 0 0 6 / W O R L D /
asiapcf/06/07/hk.uncle
2. ‘Six arrested as street brawl hits YouTube’, by
Rebecca Yu, December 9, 2010, The Standard
www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_
cat=4&art_id=105841&sid=30566642&con_type=1&d_
str=20101209&fc=4
3. ‘Clear road for couple fearing court smash over
driving tot’, by Diana Lee, November 29, 2011, The
Standard
www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_
cat=4&art_id=117501&sid=34608486&con_type=1&d_
str=20111129&fc=2
1. How does a student’s self-image affect
their academic studies?
2. How can you build a positive way of
thinking in your life?
Taking photos and videos of somebody or
something and then uploading them to
the Internet has become almost a ‘cultural’
practice in Hong Kong. One of the reasons for doing it
is to seek recognition and approval.
Glossary
Self-imageThis refers to how one thinks or looks at
themselves. It sometimes reflects the values and
beliefs the person holds. Adolescents pay particular
attention to their self-image.
innate (adj) 與生俱來的 reprimand (v) 斥責 shed light (v phr) 闡明 abet (v) 教唆 plead guilty (v phr) 承認有罪 obnoxious (adj) 討厭的 tender (adj) 嫩的 reinforcement (n) 加強
This article enables students to:
1. understand the factors which influence personal
development, interpersonal relationships, values and beliefs
2. appreciate the identity, roles and changes in different
relationships
Energy, Technology & the Environment
Globalisation
Hong Kong Today
Modern China
Public Health
Personal Development & Interpersonal Relationships
THESE days, people upload photos and videos of the most mundane and bizarre details of life: the sandwich they are about to eat, their facial expression when they are stuck in traffic, the odd pair of socks they have got on. To a lot of
people, this behaviour is bordering on madness, but the fact of the matter is that it is becoming the norm in today’s society. Sometimes unwitting or misguided people post inappropriate or even illegal things, causing a
negative reaction and backlash. The reasons people expose their actions to this kind of scrutiny are manifold.
Citizen reportersENCOURAGED by the now infamous ‘Bus Uncle’ video – where a middle-aged man’s uncivilised actions on a bus were uploaded and reprimanded by society – people nowadays often assume ‘reporter’ and
‘judge’ roles by uploading videos to expose things that are not right.Others seek approval or want to build up an image of themselves by
sharing videos about their children and activities they do like eating, shopping or travelling.
There have been a few recent, local videos uploaded on the net that shed light on the motivation and psychology of this practice.
The videos in the cases mentioned are about different
matters and have been uploaded to the Internet for
different reasons.
But there is a common thread – the uploaders all
seek to publicise actions, motivated by a desire to gain
recognition, approval or justice.
The parents in the toddler driver case were trying to
show the world how clever their child was to be able
to ‘drive’ at such a tender age; the chef was trying
to show the world how clever he was with his ‘new’
cooking technique.
But both only attracted negative responses. Only
the woman passenger’s action of catching the queue
jumpers also won the public’s approval and support.
People do surprising things to seek approval,
and and posting videos on the net as a means to
achieving this has become particularly popular
among students. Such behaviour is to a certain extent
understandable, as young people are going through
a personality-building stage.
According to Eric Erickson’s Theory of Psychosocial
Development, adolescence is a stage in life when a
person explores his or her independence.
I n t h i s s t a g e o f d e v e l o p m e n t , p r o p e r
encouragement and reinforcement through personal
exploration enables one to develop a strong sense of
self and a feeling of independence and control.
Since the Internet facilitates this in so many ways,
the posting of videos on it seems to be something that
is here to stay, for generations to come.
When taking pictures and videos and posting
them on the web, however, we must remember not to
expose ourselves to danger or hurt others. We must
also consider whether our actions are in the best
interests of the public, and make sure that we are not
breaking the law.
Case 1: Baby behind the wheelThe video showed a toddler sitting on his father’s
lap in the driver’s seat, turning the steering wheel
as the car was driven down the street. The mother
was filming from the back seat. The video was
reportedly taken on August 1 at Hoi Lai Estate (海麗
邨) in Cheung Sha Wan (長沙灣).
The couple uploaded the video to Facebook, but it soon found its way
to YouTube, and attracted many views and criticisms. When the couple
made a report to the police about the unauthorised posting of the video on
YouTube, they were charged with dangerous driving and aiding and abetting
dangerous driving. They have since pleaded guilty to the charges, and were
ordered to perform 160 hours of community service. The father was also
suspended from driving for six months.
The couple’s lawyer told the court that they were doing it to “give their boy
a happy childhood memory”. But the magistrate reprimanded them, saying
that having a toddler in the driver’s lap was dangerous and posed a hazard to
other road users.
The couple uploaded the video because they thought it was fun, and were
ignorant about the consequences. Being the holder of a driver’s license, the
father knew the potential danger involved in his actions, but he seemed to be
totally unaware that the video was evidence of an illegal act.
Case 2: Cooking with a brushA chef who worked at a popular fast food
chain brought angry comments upon himself
with his video of him making fried rice with a
cleaning brush instead of a spatula, describing
it as a creative cooking technique that “brings
perfection to every grain of rice.” Many viewers
were repulsed by the video, and food safety concerns were raised.
The chef explained in the online forum later that he was just “fooling
around” and did not actually serve the rice to anyone. But many thought this
was not good justifi cation for his conduct.
As a chef, he is responsible for the food customers eat. By posting the video,
he may have been attempting to show off what he perceives as power over
others.
Case 3: Queue-jumping bulliesA middle-aged couple was caught on camera
shoving aside a young school girl queuing at
a Lok Fu (樂富) bus stop. When a passenger
reprimanded them, the couple shouted abuse at
her for over ten minutes. Enraged by the couple’s
outrageous conduct, other passengers spoke up.
The entire drama was captured on video and posted on YouTube, where it
was quickly viewed by thousands, and many were critical about the couple’s
uncivilised behaviour.
The ‘Bus Uncle’ video on YouTube a few years ago – in which a middle-age
man hurled abuse at a young man on a bus – started a wave of online videos
uploaded on the internet showing people being caught acting badly in public.
Associate professor Denny Ho Kwok-leung (何國良) from the Hong Kong
Polytechnic University (香港理工大學) Department of Applied Social Sciences
said that posting such videos was a reflection of society’s prevailing values,
such as the collective view that people should queue up at a bus stop.
Rule-breakers these days are not only reprimanded on the spot, but might
have their shameful conduct exposed to the world through online videos. The
actions are usually obnoxious but do not amount to actual law breaking,
hence the police can not serve justice in these cases.
Posting videos on the web puts the culprits ‘on trial’ anyway though, by
laying out their wrongdoings for the public to see, and letting the public
pass a collective judgment. The postings might lead to the exposure of the
wrongdoers’ identities, and subject them to public reproach.
Reason for uploading:Ignorance and fun-seeking
Reason for uploading: showing off
Reason for uploading: to shame rude people
Sharing photographs and videos on the Internet has become an integral part of Hongkongers’ lives. One of the reasons many people like to do it is to satisfy an innate desire to seek recognition and approval from society
All about the fame
Forto
everyonesee
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